South Alabama mosque faces opposition

Islamic Society of Mobile wants to expand its facility

Husam Omar, vice president of the Islamic Society of Mobile, gestures while standing in the parking lot of their mosque near the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Photo | The Associated Press

By Jay ReevesThe Associated Press

Published: Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 10:45 p.m.

MOBILE | Dianne S. Howard opposes plans by the Islamic Society of Mobile to expand its mosque just feet from her home, yards away behind a wooden fence. Never mind that the dilapidated brick mosque, which is painted a pale yellow with white trim, is in visible need of an overhaul.

For one, she said, traffic that’s already bad during Friday afternoon prayers would only get worse if the mosque were enlarged. But her concerns — like those of others in her neighborhood — go beyond the number of cars that fill the parking lot.

Three men who had attended the mosque have been indicted on federal terror charges, Howard noted, including the son of the longtime president. And young men seem to argue a lot in the parking lot after services, she said.

The American Civil Liberties Union says dozens of construction or expansion projects involving mosques have run into opposition in more than 30 states, with increased traffic often cited as the major concern. The mosque in Mobile is one of them.

The North American Islamic Trust Inc., a nonprofit organization which owns Islamic property nationwide, sought permission from Mobile leaders earlier this year to expand its mosque that has been located in a neighborhood of small homes and apartments near the University of South Alabama for about 25 years.

Howard and other opponents of the project cited traffic concerns in meetings asking the Mobile City Council to bar the project; council members agreed. But leaders of the Islamic congregation say unreasoned fear and discrimination were really behind the vote and are deciding on their next steps in hopes of moving the project forward.

“They just don’t want us in their midst,” said Husam Omar, vice president of the Islamic Society of Mobile.

The congregation could ask the council to reconsider its decision, or a lawsuit is possible, Omar said. But he added that neither of those options would get to the heart of the dispute.

Omar’s complaints echo those of Muslims across the United States who say religious bias and fear are at the core of community opposition to new or expanded mosques.

The planned Islamic center in Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero is the best-known example of community opposition to Muslim worship spaces. But flare-ups also have been occurring since the 9/11 terror attacks in communities such as Murfreesboro, Tenn., where a mosque opened last year despite years of opposition that included arson, a bomb threat, lawsuits and vandalism.

The Mobile mosque is on a 1.5-acre tract with two wooden school buildings and play areas. Members of the mosque are mainly professionals such as doctors and engineers, Omar said, and the school has sent graduates to universities including Texas and Minnesota, he said.

“We have many success stories. We are doing good things,” Omar said. “We want to be good neighbors to everyone. That is part of our faith.”

The city’s planning department agreed to the proposed expansion project provided there were enough parking spaces for a 6,000-square-foot mosque and a 5,000-square-foot school, which would be built in phases to replace the existing buildings. The total cost, including demolition of the current buildings, is estimated at $1.5 million.

But the Mobile City Council, on May 28, upheld an appeal filed by Howard and another resident after opponents claimed the Islamic Society failed to provide enough parking in each of the project’s three phases.

Bess Rich, a council member who opposed the project and lives in an upscale neighborhood near the mosque, didn’t return email and phone messages seeking comment.

Omar, a civil engineering professor at the University of South Alabama, said the mosque would have a dozen more parking spaces than required once complete.

He also said council members acting mainly on emotion opposed the project mainly because of years of negative publicity toward Muslims, including the Boston Marathon bombing and the indictment of Alabama-born terror suspect Omar Hammami, who is on the FBI’s list of most-wanted terror suspects and whose father, retired highway engineer Shafik Hammami, is president of the Islamic Society.

Additionally, an Alabama man and a New York native who once attended the mosque were indicted in Mobile on charges of trying to leave the country to join Omar Hammami for jihad in Africa, where he is believed to be living. One, Alabama-born Muslim convert Randy “Rasheed” Wilson, already has pleaded guilty to providing material support to terror by trying to leave the country to fight for Islam; Syracuse, N.Y.-native Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair is awaiting trial.

The mosque is frequently mentioned in local news reports about the cases, Omar said, helping lead to suspicion about what’s going on there.

Howard said she recalls seeing the younger Hamammi at the mosque many times with his father, but she doesn’t hold the older man responsible for the alleged actions of his son.

“You raise your children and do the best you can,” she said.

Howard said she also doesn’t have any qualms with Islam. Still, Howard said, she wonders what’s happening right beside her home of more than two decades.

“Over 20 years you see things and you wonder about things,” she said. “But the obvious thing is traffic.”

Omar said it’s unfair to blame the mosque for what Omar Hammami or the other men are accused of doing.

“It’s like blaming the church Tim McVeigh attended for what he did,” said Omar, referring to the convicted Oklahoma City bomber, who was raised a Roman Catholic.

Shafik Hammami, the father, helped FBI agents in the investigation of his son, Omar said, and the mosque’s imam has spoken out against Omar Hammami, calling him am “outlaw.”

The mosque, one of a half-dozen Islamic congregations in metro Mobile, has never before faced community opposition, Omar said. And it’s not planning to move.

“We have no plans to leave,” he said. “We have been here a long time.”

<p>MOBILE | Dianne S. Howard opposes plans by the Islamic Society of Mobile to expand its mosque just feet from her home, yards away behind a wooden fence. Never mind that the dilapidated brick mosque, which is painted a pale yellow with white trim, is in visible need of an overhaul. </p><p>For one, she said, traffic that's already bad during Friday afternoon prayers would only get worse if the mosque were enlarged. But her concerns — like those of others in her neighborhood — go beyond the number of cars that fill the parking lot. </p><p>Three men who had attended the mosque have been indicted on federal terror charges, Howard noted, including the son of the longtime president. And young men seem to argue a lot in the parking lot after services, she said. </p><p>The American Civil Liberties Union says dozens of construction or expansion projects involving mosques have run into opposition in more than 30 states, with increased traffic often cited as the major concern. The mosque in Mobile is one of them. </p><p>The North American Islamic Trust Inc., a nonprofit organization which owns Islamic property nationwide, sought permission from Mobile leaders earlier this year to expand its mosque that has been located in a neighborhood of small homes and apartments near the University of South Alabama for about 25 years. </p><p>Howard and other opponents of the project cited traffic concerns in meetings asking the Mobile City Council to bar the project; council members agreed. But leaders of the Islamic congregation say unreasoned fear and discrimination were really behind the vote and are deciding on their next steps in hopes of moving the project forward. </p><p>“They just don't want us in their midst,” said Husam Omar, vice president of the Islamic Society of Mobile. </p><p>The congregation could ask the council to reconsider its decision, or a lawsuit is possible, Omar said. But he added that neither of those options would get to the heart of the dispute. </p><p>Omar's complaints echo those of Muslims across the United States who say religious bias and fear are at the core of community opposition to new or expanded mosques. </p><p>The planned Islamic center in Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero is the best-known example of community opposition to Muslim worship spaces. But flare-ups also have been occurring since the 9/11 terror attacks in communities such as Murfreesboro, Tenn., where a mosque opened last year despite years of opposition that included arson, a bomb threat, lawsuits and vandalism. </p><p>The Mobile mosque is on a 1.5-acre tract with two wooden school buildings and play areas. Members of the mosque are mainly professionals such as doctors and engineers, Omar said, and the school has sent graduates to universities including Texas and Minnesota, he said. </p><p>“We have many success stories. We are doing good things,” Omar said. “We want to be good neighbors to everyone. That is part of our faith.” </p><p>The city's planning department agreed to the proposed expansion project provided there were enough parking spaces for a 6,000-square-foot mosque and a 5,000-square-foot school, which would be built in phases to replace the existing buildings. The total cost, including demolition of the current buildings, is estimated at $1.5 million. </p><p>But the Mobile City Council, on May 28, upheld an appeal filed by Howard and another resident after opponents claimed the Islamic Society failed to provide enough parking in each of the project's three phases. </p><p>Bess Rich, a council member who opposed the project and lives in an upscale neighborhood near the mosque, didn't return email and phone messages seeking comment. </p><p>Omar, a civil engineering professor at the University of South Alabama, said the mosque would have a dozen more parking spaces than required once complete. </p><p>He also said council members acting mainly on emotion opposed the project mainly because of years of negative publicity toward Muslims, including the Boston Marathon bombing and the indictment of Alabama-born terror suspect Omar Hammami, who is on the FBI's list of most-wanted terror suspects and whose father, retired highway engineer Shafik Hammami, is president of the Islamic Society. </p><p>Additionally, an Alabama man and a New York native who once attended the mosque were indicted in Mobile on charges of trying to leave the country to join Omar Hammami for jihad in Africa, where he is believed to be living. One, Alabama-born Muslim convert Randy “Rasheed” Wilson, already has pleaded guilty to providing material support to terror by trying to leave the country to fight for Islam; Syracuse, N.Y.-native Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair is awaiting trial. </p><p>The mosque is frequently mentioned in local news reports about the cases, Omar said, helping lead to suspicion about what's going on there. </p><p>Howard said she recalls seeing the younger Hamammi at the mosque many times with his father, but she doesn't hold the older man responsible for the alleged actions of his son. </p><p>“You raise your children and do the best you can,” she said. </p><p>Howard said she also doesn't have any qualms with Islam. Still, Howard said, she wonders what's happening right beside her home of more than two decades. </p><p>“Over 20 years you see things and you wonder about things,” she said. “But the obvious thing is traffic.” </p><p>Omar said it's unfair to blame the mosque for what Omar Hammami or the other men are accused of doing. </p><p>“It's like blaming the church Tim McVeigh attended for what he did,” said Omar, referring to the convicted Oklahoma City bomber, who was raised a Roman Catholic. </p><p>Shafik Hammami, the father, helped FBI agents in the investigation of his son, Omar said, and the mosque's imam has spoken out against Omar Hammami, calling him am “outlaw.” </p><p>The mosque, one of a half-dozen Islamic congregations in metro Mobile, has never before faced community opposition, Omar said. And it's not planning to move. </p><p>“We have no plans to leave,” he said. “We have been here a long time.”</p>